Discovering Wes Moore: Chapter 9 Summary & Analysis

Shortly after his meeting with Mayor Schmoke, Wes heads to South Africa for a semester abroad. A white man named Zed picks up him and the rest of his group at the airport and drives them to their host families. On the drive, Wes is shocked by the scenic beauty of the area. He recalls the orientation he received prior to coming, which covered the recent history of South Africa and its struggle to overcome racial apartheid. After apartheid ended, Nelson Mandela became the country’s leader in 1994, but the country remains unofficially racially divided due to lingering class differences. Wes is shocked by the sheer poverty and dilapidation of the housing he sees on the drive, and he realizes that even the slums of Baltimore were luxurious in comparison.

Wes arrives at his host family’s home, and the mother warmly hugs him and tells him to call her Mama. He quickly grows fond of her and her son, Zinzi. One day, Wes has a long talk with Mama about South African politics. She tells him that light-skinned Black people like himself are considered their own category in South Africa, unlike in the U.S. She also tells him about Nelson Mandela’s bravery and the concept of ubuntu, a word that mean “humanity” and “compassion.” Wes is stunned to learn that Mama isn’t bitter about apartheid, but she explains that humanity, compassion, and peace are more important than holding grudges. Wes now feels that he understands his middle name, “Watende,” which means, “revenge will not be sought.”

Toward the end of his semester in South Africa, Wes has grown comfortable in the environment and come to love it and his friends there. While walking with Zinzi one day, Zinzi explains that he’ll soon be headed to the bush for a month-long rite of initiation into manhood, which begins with circumcision, followed by long historical and moral lessons. Zinzi surprises Wes when he says that he’s not nervous; in fact, he’s eager to advance into manhood. Upon returning from the rite, men in the tribe are treated thereafter with profound respect.

Wes sees a guy younger than himself who has just returned from the rite, and he can tell that this person commands respect in a way that he himself does not yet. Also while Wes is in South Africa, his mother calls to tell him that the police are searching for another person with his name (the other Wes Moore)—for the murder of a police officer.